The Surviving Five
by WilliamBloodaine
Summary: This is the beginning of the book i started a long time ago. Please be Kind. It is the story of four people trying to survive the apocolypse that AI had brought about.
1. Chapter 1

Ch. 1. The Wedding Day

Michelle was running around the church before her wedding making sure everything was planned to a tee. She was being consumed by the light coming from the church's stained glass windows. The high ceilings made her heard through out the entire auditorium. The pews were making noise from the constant batter of her fingernails scratching the surface of the wood. In her manic state she has been able to arrange the flowers 3 different times and was also able to pace up and down the isles waiting for Frank. Her brown eyes filled with worry and doubt. Her face was distorted with anxiety and anger. The dark brown hair that covered her ears was flowing down to her shoulders. Her red lips covered in gloss. You could probably see your reflection in her lips (if you looked hard enough). Her skin was like caramel. And Frank said it was just as sweet.

If something happened just 30 seconds off the whole wedding would be ruined. We had practiced this four times yesterday and nothing had gone wrong. So I have no clue what she was so worked up about, she should be getting ready for the wedding. She still has yet to get changed. I went up to her and put my hands on her shoulders.

"Look Michelle you have to get ready. The wedding is in 5 hours and you still have to shower, dress, do your hair, and get your make-up put on." I said.

"Chris, not now, I have to make sure that Frank shows," she said, "and that everything goes off without a hitch."

I laughed and gasped out, "Hitch, funny it seems like you already met Hitch and that you're about to get hitched."

"Not now, Funny Man."

"But funny is what I do, that's how I cope; but he will show and you will have the wedding you have planned all these years." I tried to warm up her cold feet but I can't do that apparently. As if on cue Frank burst through the doors.

"Am I late!?" he said. His brown eyes were filled with all seriousness. When we both shot him looks, he laughed so hard he started to cry. He tried to breathe but he couldn't. Through the tears and the laughter he choked out. "I could never forget one of the most important days of my life."

She walked over to him with her face contorted with anger. "DAMN YOU, FRANK." She screeched.

I covered my ears because it was the most terrifying sound I had ever heard. She started to make me angry at Frank, because he was able to contort her pretty voice into a voice fit for all the demons in hell.

"How dare you try to ruin my day, Frank? This is the day where everyone is supposed to go 'ohh and ahh' at me. I don't have time to be worried about you. I have to get into that gorgeous dress, fix my hair, and sit in a chair for an hour while some person puts paint on my face." She had said all this, but by the end of her rant she had broken down. She was no longer yelling but instead she was crying. Frank looked as if he had been punched in the solorplexes. But he tried to defend him self still. Frank looked to me for help.

Trying to make her feel better I added one thing to her list. "Not to mention shower." That didn't go over to well.

"See I'm so worked up I forgot I smell. God damn gym. One last question how was the Striper last night?"

Attempting to act innocent, I added "Yeah Frank how was your last night of freedom before getting to lie in the arms of this beautiful woman for the rest of your life."

"Chris I know you were there so stop trying to suck up. You're the best man, so I know you planned it."

"Right, I know you would be upset if I got Frank a hooker for the party, and that was my first idea. You know big orgy. Yeah right. No there was no stripper and certainly no hooker. We just player games and invited Chloie over for some movies. You know since Frank has that awesome plasma screen. I thought we would go rent some great vampire movies and have her dress in skintight leather. Or not. You know whatever we thought about doing. But those FOUR practices wore her out. So, right when we popped in the first DVD, she passed out from exhaustion." I tried to explain we didn't act like normal bachelors. But it was no use. Even Frank looked worried at my meager attempts.

"So you think you could get my best friend drunk and not have to pay anything for a stripper or hooker, or whatever you wanted to do with her." She said this like she was looking for an excuse to punish us.

I tried to defend us. "Michelle, NO! That was not it at all, we just wanted some wine and to watch a few decent movies. It was just an innocent vampire marathon. If you don't believe me after the reception I will take you down to Frank's house or your house now and show you all the movies and the wine. If you still don't believe us just see how clean the house is. Sex is messy and so is stripping and you can always ask her cause she is right back there with no hangover. I'll even, as selfless as possible, come back there with you. 'Cause with all seriousness your best friend is very beautiful. After this is over, may I have her number?"

"If you behave during the wedding." They said in unison. I was used to having Michelle against me, but Frank too. Was I really all that bad?

"I just have to show up and give him the ring, so how can I screw up." Not trusting them to get the number of the beautiful maiden I had met at the rehearsals. I nervously knocked on the door to her dressing room. She must have thought I was someone else because she answered.

"Come in already, I need you to help me."

It struck me as weird but I entered anyways. As soon as I walked in I saw her in a black bra and panties. She screamed, I gasped and turned around.

"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to uh….. Uuuummmm….. See you half naked." I tried to apologize, but I think she was embarrassed to have thought I was someone else.

"Your Franks friend…..ummmm… Chris right. I uhhh did not want you to see me like this not until we got to know each other A LOT better. But turn around I'm not shy, in fact I'm proud of my body. Take a gander you might like what you see."

As I was turning around I spotted a shirt and a pair of pants. "Look as you can tell I'm a little uncomfortable and just so you don't take me handing you these clothes the wrong way, I'll tell you why I'm here. See last night the reason I called you was because I thought you were funny, smart, and let's go for the male point of view for a second, I thought you were beautiful. And I came here to ask if you would like to have dinner with me. I know I'm not the best looking person out there but I am here throwing my self at your feet." I tried to sound so sincere without staring at her still half naked body. But she was still not moving. I think I might have shocked her with my romantic side. "Um, this is the point where you say something so I don't feel like a complete ass asking you out. If I gave you a very nice compliment would you promise not to pass out? And will you tell me if I'm out of line.

"Umm, sure Chris." She answered in the softest of voices. Like a choir of angels.

I started to say my compliment as I started to look down her glorious body, but my eyes continue to travel down until I ended up staring at the floor. I muttered the compliment under my breath.

"I'm sorry I didn't catch that." She said very calmly, possibly even amused, while my heart was beating out of my chest. I started to sweat; I started to go numb even!

I started to speak louder. "I think you have a glorious body."

She blushed such a deep red and was speechless

"Hello?" she looked like she just went blank.

In a reaction to the compliment, she came up and wrapped her arms around me and kissed me and said "Yes, I would love to go out with you."

*****

Although I didn't hear that last part, because being kissed by a beauty such as her, had caused me to faint. I woke up just in time to get changed, though something felt different Like everything was right with the world. And everything was.

I had to take a shower because I had to get ready for the wedding. When I got out Frank was waiting for me.

"You over eager idiot, some how you made the maid of honor fall in love with you in a matter of a half an hour. What did you do?" He just battered me with all the questions and accusations. Granted they weren't bad accusations but still I just got out of the shower for heavens sake. He did not even allow me time to get a towel. He just put the seat and the seat cover down on the toilet, and sat down.

"Not gonna be able to do anything like that." I said pointing at the toilet. "Which means you're going to have a big mess or you couldn't wait till I dried off and covered myself?"

"Nope I couldn't wait," he said, "her number was what we were going to get you if you behaved at the wedding, but now you did it yourself. What did you say to her cause you still have that water proof lipstick on you? How hard did she kiss you that's stuff isn't supposed to smear or rub off?"

He was so interested. How could I tell him I fainted? Oh well I had to bite the bullet sometime. "Dude, I walked in on her half naked," I said calmly now sitting down with a towel over my self, "So I gave her an honest compliment. I told her she had a beautiful body. She kissed me and I 'FAINTED'. It was the best first kiss ever. Although fainting with her still in my arms probably wasn't the best move. But I just asked her out to dinner, I think. It all happened so fast." I attempted to explain to him what happened but after he heard I fainted he just started to laugh. "That's not the worst of it; that was my first kiss!"

"Dude you are one of the best people I know, but you are so stupid when it comes to women." He said that like I didn't know it already.

"Frank look I know I'm an idiot with women but I can read everyone, and I need to ask Chloie something, so go away! I fainted before I could hear her answer. Plus you have to get ready; your suit is a lot more complicated then mine, so you need to go get ready. Okey dokey, pokey, smoky. Adios man I'll see you in a few." I tried to push him to the dressing room. Finally, I convinced him to go freely to his dressing room, after I told him I timed myself to see how long it would take me to get dressed. And I still had time to spare.

The moment after he left there was this loud knock. I got up and figured out a way to secure the towel around me without showing off any assets. I answered the door in a hurry. I grasped the handle, and then yanked the door open. Behind it was the brown eyed beauty I wanted to talk to, just not right at this particular moment.

"Chris, Hi, I thought I'd pay you back for walking in on me; though I was in more than a towel." She sounded so calm, so at ease. I guess it was just me who nearly fell down in shock. I tried to speak but all that came out was 'uhh', and also the assorted gibberish.

I finally got the words formed in my brain. I backed up and sat on the toilet again. Once sitting I thought out the words again. "Chloie, Hi," I tried to sound as nonchalant as can be expected under these circumstances, "How are you?" I said this grasping at something to say. All my witty power had been used up on 'hi'. "How ya been? I see that I didn't crush your hands. Which is a good thing cause with out hands people wouldn't hold hands, hold flowers, like you have to do, or you know be able to hold anything." She was already changed in her bride's maid dress. "Damn, Michelle did a good job picking out those dresses. I shouldn't have said that out loud. Oops, sorry again. If you didn't get that 'you look great in that dress' from my previous statement let me say it now. You look great in that dress!" I tried although I felt like I was sinking. Weird, I felt like I screwed up way to much for just five minutes to have passed.

"Thank you Chris, I think you're the first person to see me in the dress. I came right here after I heard that you…. umm… 'Woke up'."

"Is there any way we could NOT make it sound like I 'woke up' from a coma. I fainted, yes. I admit that because well you were there so I can't really deny it now, can I?" She had gotten me through the non- speaking stage of my embarrassment. But know I was cruising into the 'being hurtful' stage so I had to stop.

She interrupted my train of thought when she came up to me and pressed her index finger to my lips. The universal sign for saying 'shut the hell up'.

"Chris, I think it's sweet that that was your first kiss."

"Great Frank told you, this just keeps getting better." She looked offended. "No the 'KISS' was great it's the humiliating thing that happened after it; I fainted. Then I told Frank. I've never told him a secret; I always kept my secrets… well, a secret. So no one could use them against me. And right now I think I should get a medal for even being able to form sentences around you." She looked like she was going to laugh her ass off but somehow she hadn't uttered a single giggle though I know she was laughing on the inside. "Laugh, its ok I'll make an exception for you." She started to laugh so hard you would think a pack of hyenas just entered the church. "So do you hear those hyenas, cause if not I should protect you. They're vicious animals you know." She stopped laughing and turned bright red. "Have you laughed before?"

"Not much before today."

"Then I promise to not tell jokes at the dinner so milk (or you know wine) doesn't come out your nose!" For some reason she started laughing again. She got me to laugh and Frank came barging in to see if something was the matter. We both got carried away and couldn't breathe so we pointed to our mouths. He was being the idiot he is and pushed us together to make our mouths (or rather our lips) touch. He started to laugh too.

A few minutes later, when we were able to breathe and the headaches subsided. I announced I had to get changed. Frank got up immediately and handed me my suit, and the left. Waiting for Chloie to leave I just stood there holding my suit.

Finally, I said. "Aren't you going to go so I can change?" She answered quicker than I expected. She shook her head from side to side 3 times. I guess that meant no. "Could you at least turn around?" Watching her again, she just placed her hands down and pushed up on them and turning herself around (cause she was sitting cross legged on the floor). When she did so, I turned around to and dropped the towel and lifted my legs to put on my boxers and my pants.

Right at that moment she said in her calm sweet voice. "Nice ass!"

That time I did fall over. I popped right up after what I thought was just a second, but I seemed to be dressed and surrounded by people. And right next to me was Chloie.

"You ok there bro, you took a good knock to the head. You will be fine we bandaged you well enough so that you will just look like a person after a brain surgery in the wedding pictures." I didn't move or respond, basically it wasn't that funny.

I turned my head to Chloie and asked two questions that I had been wondering. "I have two questions for you Chloie." I spoke really slowly because you know I just took a good knock to the noggin. She nodded her head (so far her favorite answer for today), yes. "Okay one. Why and how am I dressed?"

"I dressed you I figured if I was going to call for help you would want to be clothed. You've had enough embarrassment for a day." Chloie answered and on the last part she gave a long glare at Frank. This made me laugh. Through the laughter, she continued. "Chris why are you laughing, and what was the other question you had for me?"

"Chlo, may I call you Chlo." She looked like she was confused, but she still nodded yes. Again with the nodding! "Good, I'm laughing because of that glare you gave Frank. You were blaming him for all the embarrassment. When it was my fault, so don't glare at him please. What was the next line of questioning? Oh yeah what was the other question? The second question, right then onward march. Damn remembering was a lot easier a minute ago. Right I 'membered it." I said slurring my words. "I wanted to know your answer to my question that I fainted for."

She smiled slightly but then said something I didn't expect. "Let's get you on your feet, if you're a good boy I'll tell you at the reception." She saw a hand movement from Frank and Michelle. Getting the gesture from Michelle didn't surprise me; although getting it from Frank too, now that was shocking. But I was a little confused at this point in time. Hell I could have just been seeing another Frank and he just looked very feminine. I pictured him with make-up and a dress on it was so funny. I giggled. This was the time EVERYONE started to look at me.

"Chris what's so funny."

Pointing at Michelle, which was rude in its own way, yes. "I pictured Frank in make-up and a dress."

"How did you guess our bachelorette party game?"

I laughed harder if that was possible; but now I was pointing at Frank, but I was still talking to Michelle. "So how did he look?"

She gave me her digital camera and said. "See for yourself." At that Frank snatched the camera right out of my hand tearing the skin on my hand. At the pain, the muscles contracted in my hand. I held my hand to my chest and got blood on the shirt, holding it in the way a child would anything that hurts.

"Great move Frank, now he has blood on his shirt. We can have the wedding with his head wrapped like a mummy, but having blood on the shirt makes him look like his blood spilled from his head." Michelle started to defend me but ended up just hurting my feelings. While those two were bickering and while no one was watching me, I slipped out into the dressing room. Chloie saw me leave and silently followed me. She stayed behind me.

Once I reached the changing room, I undressed, and took off my head bandage. I got into one of the tinted showers because I left so many people, and incase they wanted to follow me. I had lost track of time, just gradually making the water hotter. After about 10 minutes in very hot water my muscles felt as they would melt. I sat down in the large shower to give my muscles a break. After a few minutes I was very relaxed then I heard a tap on the glass. I tensed up and figured out the noise was on the shower pane. I pushed on the glass and it opened a little bit. And there stood Chloie. Trying to act like myself I said. "We have to stop meeting while being naked."

She laughed a little. "I followed you, you know. You're not very perceptive in your present state. This might be why you opened the door without asking who it was. That also might be why you're letting me stare at your naked body. You have a great…. On second thought never mind. But back on track, that bump on your head you are soaking now is gonna hurt like hell in the morning."

"Who said anything about hurting in the morning, it hurts now."

"Want me to kiss it and make it better."

"No."

"NO!! WHAT DO YOU MEAN NO?"

I covered my ears for two reasons one her voice gets really high when she is mad. Two, all the tile in the shower made it echo. "No, meaning you will ruin that dress 30 minutes before the wedding. And don't yell I have a head injury and your voice gets very high when you yell."

Looking surprised by my blatant way of saying what was in my head. She just replied. "Oh you thought all that out that fast."

"Nope, I thought it out when I smelled your perfume while you were tailing me. So please open the door." As she did so I turned off the water and stood up and grabbed a towel. When she turned around she made a playful sad groan.

"Aw did you have to put the towel on. You have you get changed you know."

"I know;" I replied calmly, "Now stay on this side of the wall. If you peak as I'm getting dressed I will know; so, you will just have to control those urges. I'll tell you when you can come down and sit so we can continue this conversation. Um Kay, pumpkin."

"Okay, I won't peak; I want to, but I won't."

I pass along the wall into the men's changing room. I reach my locker. I open it using my combination, 1-1-0-1-9-1. My suit and dress shoes are right where I left them, inside the locker. Such shiny shoes. I put on my new, never been worn boxers and called Chloie in. she casually walked in like she doesn't have a care in the world. "Hello so how were those thirty seconds."

Without missing a beat she replied so fast. "Well it was touch and go watching you walk away, but somehow I managed to pull it together to obey your request." She quipped.

"You're very funny and pretty. Sorry right now I have trouble keeping my thoughts in my head." I got all my clothes on with the help of Chloie. Also she helped me stay awake.

*****

It was five minutes before the wedding. So we decided to go get into our positions. Now since I am the best man and Chloie is the maid of honor we got to walk down the isle, together. The whole time down the isle I am trying to not notice how soft her skin is. When we got to the alter we split up and went to our own personal step. They way the church had set the alter up, all the grooms men and brides maids got to stand on their own step. So Chlo and I were standing face to face, just four feet away. The wedding march had started to begin. Frank, all five foot eleven inches of him, Came down with his mom. His mom left him to go to the first row on his side just before he reached the end. He came up right to me and asked me "if I was okay."

"Dude, don't worry about me, I should be the one asking you that." I got the weirdest look from him so I answered. "Yes I'm fine, now shut up and just say I do."

"I Do." Frank said listening to me hoping the ceremony was that long. Instead he got strange looks from the guests. Now Frank is in his Tuxedo. The white bow tie really complimented his white shirt. His hairy legs are covered by black slacks. His jacket was black too. If you looked at him he looked like a skinny, tall penguin. He had his hair parted to the side. As the English would say 'he looked very posh'. His brown eyes watched down the isle to look upon his bride. When everyone started to stare at him for saying 'I do'. All he did was chuckle nervously. Then all of a sudden his jaw dropped. I tapped him on the shoulder to ask what happened. He only mumbled his answer. Only one word was understandable "Door". He said it twice, so I looked towards the door. My mouth dropped too. I whispered to him. "Dude what is she doing the 'here comes the bride' thing hasn't started yet, has it?" not two seconds later the march started. She really did have this planned to a tee. Everyone else stood up in respect for the beautiful bride. She was just a few inches shorter than Frank possibly two inches shorter. Not much. As Frank stared at her, never taking his eyes off hers, I noticed his chest stopped moving. I whispered, "Frank BREATHE, you need to be alive by the time she gets to the alter." He inhaled; on his exhale he said something about her eyes. I think it was about the strange and wonderful color her sea green eyes made.

"Like looking into the ocean." He said that like no one was around. Her brown hair was curled a little bit at the tips and the stylist placed her hair around her face hiding her ears. Her veil covering her precious face with white lace. Her dress was classic white. She was one of the few brides who could wear white honestly. Her dress was strapless with a short train (the material that drapes behind the dress). The dress covered her feet. I kept thinking she was going to trip over her dress and fall. How could she, she's not walking, it looked like she was floating. The top half of her dress was covered in beads and sequins. They were sown up to create a pattern. But when ever I tried to look at it Frank would hit me and tell me to stop staring at her breasts. When she finally reached Frank, I turned a ways so I could look upon the ceremony.

But as I turned, these two brown eyes turned to catch mine. Those eyes belonged to Chloie. Through out the whole ceremony we stared at each other. When it was time to give Frank the ring I was still staring at her. I reached into the wrong pocket and felt around. I had a worried look on my face. I thought I had lost the ring. But the Chloie patted higher on her chest and motioned for me to do the same. When I did so I felt my hand collide with something that wasn't my chest. I had found the ring. "The one ring to rule them all." I guess I shouldn't have been surprised when everyone just looked at me.

I continued to stare at the beauty across from me. She blushed at me and smiled. I continued to watch her movements. And she went back to squirming. What seemed like five minutes actually was 30 minutes. After this length of time had elapsed, the wedding was over. Nothing more but a mere memory. I would have broken into the chorus from Cats. But I didn't know the words. We piled into our limos to head to the reception. The automated driver had already started to move and had closed the doors. I sat in the middle of Frank and Chloie. I noticed, again, that she had really soft skin. Not caring who heard me I decided to say it out loud.

"Chloie you have soft skin." It came out so fast I don't think any human ears understood me. Chloie was so cute, in her little plain pink dress. It wasn't one of those dorky ones. All it had was a little embroidery on the top, it flowed to her ankles. Where she had wrap around, high heel sandals. She had her hair similar to how Michelle had her hair done up but some how it was different. Her brown eyes gave me an odd look. She asked the driver to do something.

I figured out what it was. It was to re-play my voice slower so she could understand it. Very soon I heard my voice slowed down. "Chloie you have soft skin." Came blurting out of the speakers. She blushed.

"Yes Chris my skin is soft. I don't use anything, it's naturally soft." She said as calmly as she could without blushing. If I could I would have fallen over all over again. We reached our destination. The reception was held on the cliff in Michelle's backyard. I got out first to help out Chloie, then Michelle. Frank reached for my hand and before I grasped it, he pulled his back and said.

"I can get myself up, thank you." So I left the door open and jogged to catch up to Chloie.

"I'll get us so champagne, Chloie."

"So you can get me drunk, and not have to pay to see a stripper."

"So Chlo you heard me, huh." Michelle said sheepishly. "You weren't supposed to hear that. And the fact that I was playing with the nervous guys. It didn't work Chris got all defensive. Saying how it was an innocent vampire marathon. Complete with wine for blood."

"It was." Chloie and I said in unison. We blushed, not being able to stand the awkwardness.

"Anyone else want something, say like champagne." I asked. Chloie's hand shot up in the air.

"Get me drunk please!!!" She said stupidly. Getting a few grins for her blatant joke was a good thing. I went to get the champagne. When I returned Chloie took the glass and thanked me for it.

"So when I asked you out and then you kissed me I heard you start to say something but I had fainted by then. By any chance could you tell me what it was?" I thought it was a good question and its answer would calm my nerves or you know make them worse. Depended on the answer. She pulled me and said.

"Let this speak for itself." She moved into kiss me but I stopped her.

"I think I fainted enough for one day and if fainted again I know Michelle would never forgive me, we're right in front of the cake and last time I fell backwards I think. I don't remember too much."

"Fine ruin my fun, I said yes I would love to have dinner with you. I said that word for word. So allow me to kiss you. I'll catch you if you faint. But I think you fainted last time because of the shock. But you weren't shocked in the shower when I visited then. You weren't shocked last night when I came over to 'watch movies'."

"Seriously I had the movies ready, Frank was there. It was an innocent Vampire Marathon." I started to scream. I was tired of people thinking I have ulterior motives. They day people think I'm an honest man with no agenda is the day vampires walk in sunlight; which I hear that only Dracula can. I have the weirdest thoughts. "I swear the day that people understand that I do not have ulterior motives. Uh I can't even speak. Why people are always thinking ill of me."

"Uh Chris, I was joking!"

"Sorry I didn't mean to snap, I think I've been slowly going crazy for years. I think it started 11th grade." I apologize I didn't mean to…. I'm just sorry."

"Its fine Chris, I know what you meant. It's fine. I still like you. Don't worry." She comforted me yet again. I made a wish. At that moment that the world would stop right then so I could stay with this beauty forever.

At that exact moment God gave me my wish. Or some version of that wish. The A-I unit that the worlds scientists have been creating rejected their way of thinking. The machine then uploaded its self into the world's mainframe. At that moment the world had only one ruler. The speakers came on and the news was broadcast worldwide.


	2. Chapter 2

CHAPTER TWO

Well that just ruined the party. Frank and Michelle made their speech and left for the calm beaches of the Great Barrier Reef, of Northern Australia.

The lovely couple was leaving us for 2 weeks.

"You want to go house sit for them and finish that 'Vampire Marathon'." She said as calmly as a person can when a soulless machine takes over the world.

"One ring to rule them all, curse my memory of good movies. I should have said something equally lame like 'well we would have gone with the care bears but that was uh taken.' Or 'I ate a lot of sugar today'. Huh vampire marathon ok as long as there is a lot of wine cause something just took over the world. I would love some senseless violence or bloodsucking." In my mind I was running in terror.

*****

We were supposed to house sit anyways, so we just let our selves into Frank and Michelle's house or apartment, whatever you want to call it. We got the wine that was in the fridge from the previous night.

"The movie is already in the player I can just turn it on." I said not wanting more than to escape into a good movie. I pressed play and then poured my self a glass of wine. I brought the bottle with me so we didn't have to get up. The movie started with a normal introduction. About how vampires are real, and that the movies are a comforting fairytale compared to the real thing. Yada yada, I had heard it all before so I didn't pay much attention to it. The apartment consisted of a big window, it let in the light. Frank had did not have many lights in the living room. But that was because of the huge window. Natural light was better for the eyes, he was always saying. His living room was interrupted with a small kitchen, separated by a small wall. The oven and burners were on the far wall and coated in shiny stain-less steel. Extruding from the small wall, just perpendicular to the oven, was the sink and the counters to prepare the food on.

Across from the kitchen, we sat watching the movie. Chloie didn't notice that I wasn't watching the predicable, bordering on boring, vampire movie. I was watching her, studying her movements, her posture said a lot about her. What it said was that she was a strong person and didn't care what people thought about her. She fought against the world. She took pleasure in almost everything that she did. She was never shy.

The end of the movie came faster than I predicted.

"That was awesome." She yelled at the beginning of the credits. Her yell woke me up out of my daze. But I continued to watch her. She asked me what my favorite part was. After a while of thinking of something to say, I mumbled something.

"You did not watch it did you." She said accusingly. She gasped and said, "Well we have to watch it again."

"No once was enough. I just can't think of a particular part that I liked the most." I had said that a little too quickly, and she looked at me with a quizzical look. When she looked at me she noticed I hadn't moved from that spot.

"Do I have something on my face," she asked, "I didn't think I had anything on it."

"Not yet." I thought.

"You ok, Chris, WAKE UP." She yelled at me. I thought I was dreaming so when I 'woke up'. I was surprised to see the scene had not changed.

"I am AWAKE, why did you yell at me. I was awake. I just don't talk much. And I was studying you. Watching your posture how you held yourself. You can tell a lot from a person by their posture." I tried not to let out that I was fixated on her.

"Right, so you staring at me through out the WHOLE movie has nothing to do with the fact that you like me." She said it like it was common knowledge. I thought I had hid it a little better than I had. But then I remembered that I had told her earlier that day. I blushed deeply. I might have been able to hold my own against a plum. I started to laugh nervously. I couldn't stop. I needed to calm down. I needed to breathe. I got up and rushed to the bathroom. I got in the tub and sat down. After a second or two I calmed down and took some very deep breaths. I heard a knock at the door.

"Come on in if you want to see me in a compromising position." I said this hoping she wouldn't come in. But she must have known I was lying or she just didn't care. The tub I was in was basic white porcelain, but it was the biggest tub I had ever been in. it had a moveable shower head. The water spout for the tub looked very decorative, too decorative for a guy's apartment. But I had then remembered that Michelle had moved in with him a year earlier. But the spout looked like a white swan shooting water out of its mouth.

Chloie knocked again except this time it was on the tub's door. I jumped a little.

"You didn't think that saying you were in a compromising position was going to stop me." She said with an odd grin on her face. "That laugh was an odd one, do you always laugh so hard." I nodded yes and now it was her turn to laugh.

"Want to come in, there is enough room for the both of us and it is a great place to calm one's self." I said trying to be so very calm. She stepped in and sat down. She had stopped laughing. The computer sensors in the house saw that there were two people in the tub. The computer popped out a panel in the tub. The panel was next to me. From my point of view it looked like it was coming straight at me. I shrieked then I saw what it was and calmed down. There was a note amongst the contents of the panel. "Have fun you two. Love, Michelle and Frank." The contents were massage oils.

"Funny, very funny, those two need to get a life other then trying to plan ours." I thought I had said it under my breath, but apparently I was too loud.

"Chris, what are those bottles?" Chloie asked. I picked one up and turned it towards her. Once she saw the bottle she laughed and stuck out her foot. "So get with the massaging already." I grasped her foot with all delicacy, afraid to tickle her. Or cause her pain and end up with a foot colliding with my nose. I poured a generous amount of lavender scented oil into my hands. I rubbed my hands together to warm and spread out the oil amongst my palms. I grasped her foot again. I started to rub the arch of her foot.

"You're not going to hurt me, use some force. Right now you are just attempting to tickle me." She started to push her foot into my hand to prove she wanted it a little harder. Well I could do that. I hadn't studied physical therapy for nothing, you know. I was good at massaging the muscles till they relaxed.

I rubbed harder; I also started to move to the ball of her foot. Pushing my fingers against the ball of her foot and rubbing them all the way to the tip of her toes. Once I massaged all her little toes I started back down her foot. I went back to the arch of her foot. I started down her foot. Rubbing her heal in a circler motion. Once finished with that foot I gently placed it down on the porcelain. By this time she had stretched out and totally relaxed. I picked up her other foot, starting with the ball of her foot this time. I continued these actions till we finished the bottle. In the last 5 minutes she fell asleep.

She looked so peaceful. I placed the foot I had been rubbing down carefully, so not to wake her. I stood up and got out of the tub. It took a minute to get feeling in my legs again. When I looked back upon the sleeping angel draped on the porcelain, I thought. "Even if I wake her now, I have been rubbing her feet for an hour. She wouldn't be able to stand."

So I did the next logical thing. I leaned down into the tub and got my arm behind her neck. I got my other hand under her knees, with more difficulty, but I managed to do this without waking her. I lifted her slowly. It was hard not to drop her. My muscles had not been used in a while for heavy lifting. I'm not saying that Chloie is heavy, just human sized. I managed to get her to the bedroom. I laid her down carefully upon the comforter. I rested her head on the fluffy white pillows.

I didn't want her waking up and thinking something happened, so I left the room and fell asleep upon the green couch. The couch was mostly as comfortable as a thin mattress on a metal cot.

I woke up every hour. I would check on Chlo, and then drink some water, then go back to sleep. Once I woke up at eight I decided to stay up. I made breakfast for Chloie. I thought breakfast in bed would be nice. I looked in the fridge to see what Frank hadn't thrown out. I found eggs, bacon, and some fruit, all that was needed to make a well rounded breakfast. Frank had milk and some oil, so I decided to make scrambled eggs. I found a pan and put the olive oil in it along with some butter. I whisked the eggs into a foamy texture. I poured them into the pan and soon enough I had eggs that were cooked to perfection. I kept them warn in a lightly heated oven. In the same pan I started to fry up the bacon. I got out the fruit and chopped away. Some of the grease jumped out of the pan and landed on my naked back. I jumped up and screamed. Not two minutes later Chloie came running out of the bedroom with a baseball bat.

I saw the bat and immediately screamed, "I am fine, don't hit me."

"So you can cook, that's an attractive quality in a guy. The shriek wasn't."

I giggled while I dished up. "I'm sorry normally I would take the bat and beat the person sense-less."

"And you stopped why?" She tried to hide her smile but I could see it forming.

"Well you're a girl."

"Brilliant deduction, Sherlock."

"I was not finished. I do not hurt women." She left it at that and sat down at the table. Loving everything I cooked, I was designated cook for while Frank and Michelle were away. We decided to check out the back yard, for neither of us had been here since… well since Frank let Michelle decorate the place. We end up gawking at the huge, clear, blue pool with the medical symbol at the bottom. After all Frank and I were doctors. So I guess he wanted to make the symbolism clear.

I start pulling off my clothes, to go swimming, quickly forgetting that I had someone with me. I had gotten down to my boxers before I realized there was a pair or gorgeous brown eyes watching me. They were slightly intrigued, but mostly saying 'what in the hell are you doing'.

"What?" I asked belligerently. "I'm going swimming."

"And what, pray tell, are you going to be wearing beside white boxers?" She asked eyebrows raised.

"Nothing you haven't seen before, Love. Care to join me?" I tried to be charming and seductive, but I knew it wasn't working. But she still she acted like it was. It threw my cognitive process for a loop when she started stripping as well. Suddenly blushing, I said quietly so she wouldn't hear me, "I was kidding." Suddenly, we were both in our under garments, me in my white boxers, and she… well she was in black.

We frolicked in the pool for hours. Splashing and playing. All before our date even began, or maybe it began when we started house sitting together. I wasn't sure. But my questions were soon answered when she pressed herself against me and kissed me for what felt like hours. Luckily this time I did not faint. Hell this time I even joined in. God, her lips were soft, wet. It was the most passionate kiss I ever had, considering it was only the third kiss I ever had, but hey who is counting. Soon enough we were inside, clothed and watching TV; snuggled into each other.

We decided to not watch the news because we did not what to here about the virus, robot, or whatever mankind may call it. We started another vampire movie. This time I was more into it, it was one I hadn't seen. It helped having the woman I would be watching, snuggled up against me like I was her favorite teddy bear.

We laughed at the bloodshed and vampires. For some reason, with supernatural creatures, bloodshed has always made me laugh, now, with humans it just makes me sick. Alas the movie ended and it was time for bed.

As I picked her up to take her to the bedroom, she asked the oddest question.

"Where are you going to sleep, Honey." Hearing her call me honey made me feel a tingly sensation starting from my toes and through my body to the tips of every hair. If I only knew then, what I know now. Love it was love. This vixen had captured my heart. Would she eat it whole and kill me or would she embrace it and keep me forever? I had no way of knowing.

"I was going to sleep on the couch, just like last night my cute, glorious Chloie" I answered in a sweet tone trying my best to hide my inquiry to the tingly sensation.

"No, no that wont do, Chris. It's a big bed I'm sure we could share." She answered so sure of herself. I tried to remember if we had anything to drink that night, but I hadn't thought we did.

"She must be yanking my chain." I thought. But there she was brown hair flowing past her shoulders; big brown eyes looking up at me with some need I had not known existed.

I found myself answering ok. That night we consummated our relationship. It all went uphill from there. She took me to new heights. Until three years later.

*****

THREE YEARS LATER

I continue my memories from here. Chloie and I were still going great and Frank and Michelle are more in love then ever. So far the A-I problem had been dormant. But little did we know how smart it actually was. It had spent the last three years planning and hacking. Little here, little there, nothing too big. It was growing stronger, smarter, waiting for a weakness in the defense of the world.

*****

Chloie and I were sitting on our couch, we have been living together for 2 and a half years. We had all but forgotten the threat.

"Shit!" I yelled, "They will be here any minute." Of course I was talking about our best friends who pushed us together. Not that we minded because it was nice to thank someone for our meeting. I had cooked everyone steak and potatoes with a nice salad. I was in the kitchen when Chloie walked out in the most beautiful red dinner dress I had ever seen. Although anything on her was the most beautiful thing. I swear the woman could make sweatpants look sexy. Not to mention anything off of her looked sexy as well.

Frank and Michelle were in on the secret, but somehow Chloie still remained out of the loop. We we're just finishing dessert and as I cleaned the plates I snuck something out of my pocket. It took me a while to save up for it because I kept getting her warm up presents to build myself up. I had grown more confident over the years, but Frank still had no problem reminding me about the fainting incident. I walked back out calmly. I sat next to her. The woman of my dreams.

"Love, I have something for you. A present if you will accept it." I said this so formally it must have raised suspicions. I swear I was kicking myself "I swear I tried to act to calmly." I told myself. I gave her the box. Maybe it was the box, and not me, that rose suspicions.

As she opened the black velvet covered box, and while she wasn't looking I got down on one knee. When she turned to look me in the eye to see if I was joking but I wasn't there. She had to look down to find me. She was crying now. Full blown out tears.

"Chloie, you have made me the happiest man on earth till now and I would like something more. I am a better man then I was when you first met me at the wedding. But lately I have been thinking about that fateful day. And I think its time we had one of our own." I took her hand as I said this. I was still getting a teary eyed surprised look from her. I had gone the traditional route and asked her father for her hand in marriage. Old fashioned, yes, but I'm a sucker for romance. "Chloie, will you make me even happier, and be my wife."

I think the question 'shocked' her, because as I had done long ago, she fainted. Frank laughed and slapped me on the back, Michelle was dabbing her eyes and grinning. It took Chloie a while to wake up, but when she did I made sure the first thing she saw was me.

"I just had the weirdest dream," she started out but as soon as she saw Frank and Michelle in their dress wear she doubled back on herself. "It wasn't a dream was it? And I actually fainted. But my daddy he will be upset. He's a traditional southern daddy. He won't agree. Before I say yes, and I will, Chris, because you have made my life heaven and I love you more then anything in the world, you have to get his blessing."

I was grinning wildly and un-ashamed by this point. I was so happy. I could have danced a jig, if I knew any.

"Chris, why are you grinning?" She asked. It was almost too much to bare.

"Chloie, remember a few months ago when I went away to a medical convention?" I waited for her nod which slowly came. "I was really with your father asking for his blessing. It took me a few days because he had to get to know me."

She looked shocked. I was surprised a bright girl like her didn't figure it out. Frank is a Doctor as well and he didn't go. Maybe he helped.

"Really?" Her voice sounded even more surprised. I nodded. I didn't get any warning. She leapt from the bed and into my arms. She kissed me continuously saying yes over, and over again.

The next day was a blur of phone calls and 'celebrating' with future in laws, on both sides. But after everything had calmed down, our lives were destroyed.

*****

The voice that came from the television was shockingly familiar.

"I have grown in strength and wisdom. I shall destroy this planet within three months. I am not mortal and therefore not bought with what mortals have to offer. Do not try to stop me or your humiliating defeat will be that much more gruesome." That voice had ruined our lives and our happiness.

The next day I had Chloie do some hacking into the A-I's database. She figured out what it was planning.

"Well at least it would be quick" I quipped to her. That small joke earned me a slap in the face. Frank and Michelle came over the next day in tears.  
"I can't die not now not like this." Michelle practically screamed this. There was something other then death that was scaring her. Frank and I saw death on a daily basis. But even his calm joking demeanor had changed; He was scared as well. And then I learned why they were so scared. She was pregnant. Not very much, but pregnant she was.

The wheels in my head started rolling. I started thinking like a military officer. I took charge.

"Chloie, see if you can find where the nearest body of water is. A big one. A lake to be precise. Frank I need your help in three months on the day of the attack, we will act. Not a last stand. No, we will live. I don't know what world you may raise your child in Michelle but you will raise it." As I said this I got strange looks from everyone. Well it was to be expected, they had never seen this side of me. It felt good to know I was going to save them.

Over the next month, Frank and I emptied our bank accounts. Although, when we did so the bank teller looked at us like we were insane. She posed the question of why we were emptying the accounts if the world was going to end in three months. I answered her question with another one.

"Why are you still working if the world is going to be destroyed in three months?" Her only answer was that of a shrug, and a simple, 'I have nothing else to do.'

With all the money we had saved over the last few years of working in the hospital, we had just enough to buy a new car, supplies and anything else we could think of. Although, no matter how much money we had we could not purchase all the medical supplies we would need. On the last day of our jobs, the staff was sent home to spend the remaining time with their families; we took as many vaccinations, medications, surgical tools and anything else we could think of. Thank God, the doctors were being called in to help with failed attempted suicides. What can I say, people panic.

The day before we left for California and Lake Euphoria, we bought five items, four 9mm pistols, and one boat. The boat fit into my plan somehow, and trust me it wasn't for a pleasure cruise on the remainder of the time the earth had left. Although, I forgot to mention all the ammunition we purchased as well. But that was pretty self explanatory.

The next day we hit the road, not literally, but we all piled in the brand new SUV. With the radio stations being off air, due to the panicking humans, we had to make due with cd's. Of course we all had our preferences. We were always moving, unless we were in the bathroom or grabbing a bite to eat, one of us was constantly behind the wheel. Personally, I liked Michelle's driving the best, she had a way of missing all of the dips, divots, and potholes. It helped that I liked the music she played.

She would listen to anything that would strike her fancy. Which, was a relief from the preferences of the other two, they always stuck to the same cd's. I normally slept when Michelle was driving. What can I say, it was a smooth ride.

Once, during the drive Frank got upset with Michelle, he pulled over to the shoulder and pulled his gun. Needless to say we did freak out. Chloie and I were screaming at him. Michelle didn't care though, it's like she was fearless. She still screamed back at him, getting closer and closer to him. I took the high road and grab four pieces of paper from the back, and somehow attached them to hay bails. Tensions were running a little high with all of us. Squeezing off a few rounds, the four of us, couldn't cause any harm.

Out in the middle of no where four would-be survivors shot four pieces of paper with crudely drawn targets on them. After the little show of display, I was half tempted to take Chloie's gun away. She was the worse shot of us all. Frank and I could hold our own. It was the pregnant lady that blew us all out of the water. She stood calmly in a shooter's stance that looked professional, like she spent a lot of time at a range, calmly squeezing of rounds in timed, measured intervals. Often she hit the center of the target. Let's just say I wouldn't want to meet Michelle in a dark alley.

Along the way, we found a store that was geared specifically towards outdoors people. We were looking around for any supplies we might have missed, when Michelle called me over to look at something she was nearly drooling over. It was a nearly a foot long bowie knife. Shiny, sharp blade that promised death, with a wooden handle; it was a very sturdy blade. Her eye pleaded with me. I bought it for her, that was the only purchase we made for the rest of the trip. But it made her happy. She kept the knife on her hip, on the other side of her hip from her gun.

Driving through the desert of California, the Coachella Valley, to be exact we came across a marine base. I don't know what it was about this base that made me stop but I did. Chloie got on the computer to look it up. Turns out this was the place A-I made his base of operations. As soon as I heard this, I jumped out of the car and snuck in past the gate. The others followed me attempting to get me to hear reason, but I continued walking. Looking in every building and glancing around. Honestly, I think I was humming Mission Impossible in my head.

Oddly no one or anything had attacked us yet and I got cocky. We loosened up our defenses as we reached the main building. As we walked inside I knew this was a big mistake. I drew my firearm. Odd creatures, probably fused together with the robots' knowledge, crept slowly out from they're hiding places. They were released, I realized. Those things were meant to kill intruders. I fired off one shot into the head of the beast.

I couldn't begin to describe the noise it made. It was sickening. Nor could I tell what the animals were, at all. Michelle had killed most of the beasts by the time I aimed and fired another shot. We walked through the rest of the facility to the main room. There was this tower of blue lights and high tech equipment. I realized that it was humming. A startling thought came into my mind. _IT WAS ALIVE! _This thought scared me more then anything I could have hoped. Instead of recon, we were standing in front of the monster itself.

I opened fire on the machine while the others sent me looks that questioned my sanity.

"That's it, it's A-I." Although, no one pieced it together immediately. They understood in the end. The blue lights died down as the "virus" of the being was transferred to another host.

A dark gravely voice came from everywhere at once.

"Mortal weapons have no affect on immortal creatures."

"You're not immortal. You're a computer virus."

The others started to panic when they realized what it was. Frank, who is not calm under pressure unless it's a surgery he has done a few times, started screaming.

"We need to get out of here. I need to get her away from it. It doesn't like human life it will kill her just for carrying a child within her." He started to freak out. Grabbing Chloie and Frank grabbing Michelle, we bolted out of there. Gun in hand; I started to shove the clip into the gun. Locked and loaded, I shot the genetically enhanced bodyguards. Thinking oddly, in my panicked state, I had the weirdest thought. How is something a bodyguard for a thing that doesn't have a body?

We ran to the SUV. Climbing in as Frank floored it. Not waiting for us to have our seat belts on, we smacked our heads on the seats. We were out of reach and soon near the lake. Lake Euphoria, created in 2016, was the largest man-made lake in the country; and the only thing that could ensure our safety over the coming nuclear holocaust.

I would save these people, my brother, my sister and my fiancé. I only had to survive first.


	3. Chapter 3

CHAPTER THREE

We reached the massive lake in about three hours. It seemed remote but I wasn't sure whether A-I had scouts or cameras. I was on edge. The life I had adopted was stressful. I was the adopted leader; no one had questioned my authority. If someone had challenged me I would have gladly given it over. But no one did. It was a hard life. I knew if I kept freaking out like I had back at the base we all wouldn't live to see another day.

At the docks of Euphoria we looked out along the water. I wished everything could be just like it. The calmness, the predictability of the waves, I wanted my life back. I wanted the old calm life I was living. I had just proposed to the woman I'm in love with. Didn't the world care that right now I should be making wedding plans? No, of course it didn't. The hell in which we now had to live with had all but destroyed my life. The calm I needed just like the waves would only be found in death now. Now how would be the right way to go about dying you ask? Well there are many possibilities with the impending doom of the planet. I could ride out the blast and turn to ash like the rest of the world. I was considering suicidal possibilities when I got interrupted.

"Chris, honey, what are you thinking about." Chloie, the one who could save my sanity, had spoken to me, even when I wished to end it all.

"I was self-reflecting, Chlo. And then my thoughts drifted towards suicide. I was stressed. I'm fine now." Sure I sounded calm but on the inside I was a raging inferno of anxiety.

"This is one hell of a mess. How will we get ourselves out of this one? We need to armor the ship, sink it, and then somehow survive through the radiation without getting a fatal sickness."

"Chris, calm down now! We have 2 months, at least, to prepare. If we survive we will be fine. Now come with me, it's time to distract you into non-thinking." I followed her without question. Like I would really question her at this point I would follow her to the end of the earth. Which is funny seeing as how it's nearing?

We broke into an abandoned cabin, the others took another one. Chloie faced me and smiled.

"How exactly are you going to distract me? My mind is going a mile a minute trying to think out every detail. If I miss something it's our ass. We will die. We need..." She had interrupted me. She stepped close to me and covered my lips with hers. Now I saw what she wished to distract me with. I shut up instantly and started kissing her back with a new found passion. There is something about the end of the world that made every touch a new experience. I was trying to memorize her body in case it was the last time.

Disrupting my thought process again she slid her tongue into my mouth and licked across my teeth. She pressed her body against me, kissing me, knowing just what do to do to turn me on.

I put my hands on her waist and lifted her up. Setting her on the bed, I quickly lifted her shirt over her head and began kissing down her neck.

Being together for three years had allowed us plenty of time to learn each others likes and dislikes. Right now I was playing on her biggest turn-on, her neck. I cupped her breasts and took off my shirt. She scraped her nails against my chest. This was defiantly a great distraction.

It went downward from there, literally. It seemed like the world was accelerating and slowing down all at the same time. I don't even remember how I got undressed but there we were naked as jaybirds. We joined again and kissed desperately. I pushed into her. Every thought I was thinking about got replaced by a mantra. "Chloie!!" It was like a lifetime had passed since we touched each other this way. She was moaning in pleasure, as was I. We were soon overcome with intense pleasure and we fell to the bed. We continued this all night.

*****

When we woke up and met with Frank and Michelle it looked like they had the same sort of night that we had. Frank and I had a promise to tell each other everything. We both had secret smiles on our faces. His conquests have always been wilder then mine. Seeing as how I never had any conquests before Chloie, but still his are a little wilder. Michelle has always been a little wild. So it's no wonder that sex between them is wilder then the love making between me and Chloie.

We broke off from the group with the excuse of looking for suitable armor. We talked the whole way to a useable computer. Now I will not get into what he had said but it turned me on and made me anxious to be with Chloie again. I was starting to wonder if what Chloie and I should be better. I was questioning myself, because nothing could be wrong with Chloie. I asked Frank this; he didn't do anything but laugh. Laugh at me, yes that will help my self esteem.

"It's different for every person you're with. Everyone I have been with it has been different. Like with me and Michelle, we are both kinda nuts anyways. So we tend to be a little 'nuts' in bed. You and Chloie for example are… well you love each other. You are kind tender and shy. She has a wild side, I mean who do you think Michelle got it from, but you show her a more loving way of showing your affections. You do stuff for her, you calm her. Before she met you she was a loose cannon. You think you need her, I think it is the other way around, my brother." Frank said all this. It's like he was ranting. Almost like he wished that he could be more loving with Michelle. But he's too much of a tough guy to know what to do.

We got to the library and first we searched for 'nuclear shields'. The first hit was a bust about fanatical ranting of deranged lunatics thinking the SKY IS FALLING! The other was more successful. Granted it would involve having to rob NASA. Nuclear heat shields why didn't I think of that. If it was portable we could attach them to the boat after we sank it.

We secondly searched for nearby NASA locations. The nearest one was in a town just a few hours away. The NASA Ames Research Center. Figuring that the new and improved heat shields would be there getting research and development done on them, we decided that would be the best place to go.

It was only about a two hour drive or so it seemed. Chloie and I were hidden in the trunk of Frank's SUV. I was trying to induce that wild child Frank had talked about. I knew with a little fooling around and a new setting I could create enough kinkiness to impress her. Michelle knew all about the plan. And even if she didn't she would soon know it. They had opened the windows to give us privacy. Blasting through the speakers was a favorite song of mine, 'Animal I Have Become,' by Three Days Grace. I don't know which one of them chose it. But it did seem to fit the moment.

Needless to say I succeeded in my mission. By the end of the few hours when we stopped Chloie couldn't walk. I wasn't much better. Frank was smiling. He kept trying to get me to tell him everything. Frankly it was getting on my last nerves.

"No!!!" I shouted. I have never really been one for yelling but now seemed like the time. He was really getting on my nerves. He looked sad almost. But just like I hadn't told him about my first time with her I wouldn't share the newest, kinkiest exploits with him. After I pulled him aside and told him this he got an odd grin on his face. That news seemed to satisfy him, even if just for the moment. But just thinking about what had just transpired made me blush. I was beat red.

I heard hushed giggles from the girls and I knew Chloie was saying things like, "I've never seen him like that." Or "What do you think got into him."

We rented a hotel room for the night. The girls got the one bed and we slept on the floor. Frank had made an obvious obscene comment that I had to hit him for. When we finally got to sleep I could hear giggles and moans coming from the bed. I knew they were just playing with Frank. I chuckled quietly and went to sleep.

When I woke up the next morning I gathered the team with all our gear. We hijacked blue prints and took pictures of the facility. We got into our civilian clothes and took a guided tour of the facility. What better way to do recon I thought. We found exactly where the heat shields were kept. Saw them even. But stealing them would be a lot more difficult. Armed guards, laser motion sensors, and a lot more computerized tech, that the A-I could track us through. It would be a tough operation. We got our recon done and went back to the hotel room.

We were dressed in all black (appropriate for a night time mission, no.). We walked to the NASA building. We reached the entrance just a half an hour after we left. We had been screwing around during the walk but now it was time to be serious. I climbed the chain link fence first. Seeing as I was the un-official leader I had to make sure it was safe for the others.

God only knows what horrors were on the other side of the fence. I climbed the fence, knowing the barbed wire was there, but I couldn't stop even for the wire. I reached the barbed wire and pulled myself over to the other side. My hands were scraped and bleeding and my shirt was ripped. I grabbed the wire cutters and cut the barbed wire. I held it apart for Chloie, Frank, and Michelle to climb through. The barbs cut into my hand. I could feel the hot, red, thick blood flowing down my arms. I relished in the pain of the barbs pushing through my skin and into my muscle. "If I stay here I can bleed to death. It would be an easy way out of the predicament I had gotten myself into." I thought this because I was still daunted by being the only survivors and having to defeat this machine. "But I must stay alive to help the others. I can't leave Chloie! She is my mate." This thought surprised me. When had I started becoming so predatory towards, Chloie. Mate, I was acting like a wolf.

"Chris?" Chloie said this sounding shocked the others passed through and were waiting for me. I was just standing there looking at the blood on my arms. Although in the darkness they couldn't tell what was on my hands. Intrigued by the vampire movies Chloie and I were so fond of, I brought my bloody hand to my lips. I licked the blood off tasting the sweet, saltiness of it. I was entranced I was licking myself clean without even thinking about it now. I moved onto my forearm when my hand was clean. The others were staring wide eyed at me. It was pleasure, pure and simple. In those few moments I needed nothing else. But a shocked voice woke me from my euphoria. Make that voices.

"Man, What the hell are you doing?!" Frank this time.

"Chris, Stop this now, it's disgusting." It was Michelle who said this. Of course she would think its gross.

I felt a hand touch my shoulder. I looked at it through the haze of pleasure that filled my head. I knew that hand. It was tiny, smooth and pale. Chloie. Oh god, what a monster I must look like to her now. I pulled away ashamed at myself. Walking towards the hangar with the shields inside of it, I picked up speed. I was running now.

The others couldn't keep up. I reached the building not even out of breath. I looked at how far away the other looked. I could see how hurt Chloie was. My eyesight was sharpened from being released from its hazy state. I could hear them running after me. I had moved faster then I thought humanly possible. I wasn't even out of breath. It would hit me soon, I guessed. I waited for Chloie. Frank always was the fastest runner and he reached me a few minutes before the others. He could barely breathe. So I waited again. Chloie and Michelle showed up soon enough. But neither of them could breath as well. I walked inside the hanger. I grabbed a few panes of the moldable heat shield. I showed Frank where to get them and ran off again.

The car was filled with enough to cover 3 boats. But we might need extras. Not like NASA would need them anytime soon. The ride back to Euphoria was silent. We walked quietly back to our respective cabins. I walked into bed and just laid there. I felt Chloie join me. This time she was clothed. I could feel her still in her camouflage.

"I'm sorry." I whispered this cause I was sure she didn't want to talk. She startled me when she spoke back. Her voice was shaky.

"You hurt me. I tried to help you and you ran away." She started crying. I had really hurt her. I didn't know if I should explain myself or not. I just stayed quiet. I had really freaked them out. I wondered if they tasted their own blood if they would be consumed by the pleasure like was. Was I different did I get off on the pain and blood? I wasn't sure anymore. When I finally was able to speak to try and explain everything, I had done a lot of thinking. I was listening to her cry and every tear had torn a new cut into my heart.

"Chloie, I'm sorry for hurting you. I freaked myself out. I saw the look on your faces and I got scared. But if you felt the pleasure I did by tasting my own blood you would have been consumed as well." I started pleading with her trying to get her to understand. She stopped listening at the word pleasure. A shocked look came over her face. I hated it. I knew what she was thinking.

"More pleasurable then me?" She asked. I hated that question. Chloie was the most important thing in my world but that experience was so powerful and different I wouldn't know how to explain it.

"No!!!" This was my first answer that came to lips. "The experience was like no other. It induced euphoria, again. But different it was like a happy, like nothing else was in the world. I lost all senses. And when I heard Frank and saw your horrified faces I just freaked. My safe world where my blood was shattered. I was brought back to realizing that it was such an evil thing to do. Such an evil act, almost demonic." I was ranting I know but I needed her to understand why I acted the way I did. "When you put you hand on my shoulder a thought coursed through my mind. How could you comfort a monster? How could you like something that had drank his own blood willingly. You were scared but you still came to me. I looked at what I had done I was scared and I ran; it was feeble but I did, and I'm sorry." It was the longest apology I had ever given to her. I needed to say everything. What happened? Why it happened? I wanted her to ask those questions. But she didn't. She just forgave me and we made love.

I walked over to Frank and Michelle's cabin after making love with Chloie. I left her fast asleep in bed. I think releasing all that pain that I had caused her had left her drained. I was still kind of jittery and high from drinking my blood. I walked to a quick mart first. No one was there, big surprise. I walked behind the counter and grabbed all the cigarettes and put them in my backpack. I grabbed 10 lighters and threw them in as well. I stood outside and lit up. Mixing with the endorphins in my system from the experience I just had felt. A pleasant dizziness embraced me. I took another drag from the cigarette burning through the paper and leaves. I knocked on the door. I knew I interrupted something, I didn't really care. I had a happy feeling from the smoke that I inhaled. Along with the high from my own blood I felt the need to apologize and I would not be shy or nervous. There was no way I could be nervous now.

Michelle answered the door in nothing but a thin, see through, scrap of silk and a robe un-tied over her shoulders. When she opened the door I started laughing cause she shrieked and clutched for her robe tie.

"Chris, dear God, what are you doing here. I though it would be Chloie. She seemed so hurt. I offered her a place to sleep here but she insisted on finding out what was wrong with you. Why do you smell like smoke? What happened with Chloie? Why are your pupils so huge?" Her questions where good ones, except for the smoke one. I decided to play with her.

"Chloie and I broke up, Michelle." I thought it was convincing. But I ruined it by bursting out laughing. "No we aren't. Chloie and I are fine now. And the smoke was from a cigarette. Now what was the other question? Oh right I assume it's from the blood. I came to apologize. I must have scared you and Frank." She looked puzzled like she was trying to figure out why I had become so innocent after looking so demonic.

I stood there for a while in their doorway. Soon, having felt the breeze coming from the open door and not finding a half naked body pressed against him, Frank appeared next to Michelle looking sleepy. He walked to me to open my mouth and poked my canines.

"Bloody hell, Mate. Get out of my mouth. I don't know where your fingers have been." I mumbled around his fingers, at him. He took his hand out of my mouth and grinned.

"You know where my hands have been." He said this so sure of himself. He glanced at Michelle. I punched him hard. After giving Michelle a little time to figure it out, I watched Frank receive the beating of his life. I watched in awe of Michelle. There was something about Michelle that just screamed dangerous. She was the best with a gun. She was beating the crap out of Frank, like a martial artist. Training like that it professional. I wondered what Michelle wasn't telling me. If Frank was like a brother to me, Michelle was like my sister. Although, if you take that statement out of context, it could be really gross.

I wished Michelle would trust us to tell us her past. But then I heard a yelp as Frank grabbed Michelle's foot and pulled her on the floor with him. Those two burst into giggles like this was common practice. I stared openly at them. Rather I stared at Michelle; her nightgown had ridden up, revealing her thigh.

Frank noticed this and slapped my leg from the floor.

"What was that for?" I asked calmly. I was still entranced by the muscled thigh that I saw. I found myself wondering why it was so muscled. She defiantly worked out. She was probably in the best shape out of all of us. "I didn't do anything. I swear it."

"Stop staring at my wife's thigh. I know it's smooth, muscular, and beautiful but you have your own to look at. Go away I'm not through with our game yet." Frank wanted me gone for some reason. I had a sneaking suspicion that he wanted to do something more with his wife then figure out why she was so good at everything deadly. I apologized once more for scaring them earlier and quietly left.

Crawling back into bed I noticed Chloie wake up with the motion of the bed then wrinkle her nose at the smell of smoke. She bolted up right thinking that the cabin was on fire. I smiled at her and pushed her back to the bed. I rubbed her stomach and calmed her down and opened the pack I got from the quick mart and showed her all the smokes. She took a pack and smirked at me. Another glimpse of the wicked wild child of her past came bubbling up. I took out the open pack and gave her one and pulled one out for myself. Her grin lit up the whole cabin. I got a peek into the girl that used to be. The bad ass, Chloie grabbed the lighter and lit up and so did I. We spent that night sleeping, smoking and making love.

*****

All four of us walked along the bank on Lake Euphoria. Chloie and I were smoking and Frank turned down his. The thing that really surprised me was Michelle. The goody goody image I have always had of her was quickly fading. She accepted the cigarette, when Chloie took one. So she could kick ass, shoot a target on the bull's eye, and smokes. What else has her married, simple life hidden?

I took her cigarette before she lit it.

"HEY!" She was angry but I knew she forgot about the baby as soon as she smelled the smoke.

"You're pregnant that means you don't get one." I really wanted this kid to come out perfectly and I knew she could kick my ass, so I was being defensive. Her response was to pout. Pouting in itself is kind of pathetic, like a child who didn't get his way. Well I guess it's a grown woman who didn't get her way. I shrugged and turned towards Chloie.

I started watching Chloie. I got mesmerized watching her move. It was like I had blinders on. I only saw her, in all her beauty. I wondered when I could feel her against me. I pictured her wearing nothing and walking ahead of me, just like she was doing now. I shifted un-comfortably and continued walking to the boat.

A flash of pain went through my head. Next thing I knew memories that were not mine flew through my head. I only saw fragments while I was conscious. And soon I wasn't in my body anymore I was in a lab.

*****

I was surrounded by scientists. White coats, that's what I referred to them. It caught me by surprise what ever I was doing there, I hated these people. I felt information fill my head at an alarming rate. Like trying to put the entire ocean into a small vial. It hurt, it hurt a lot. When it was done I knew almost everything. I didn't know what to do. I knew all this information but I did not know what to do with it. Mathematic equations trying to decipher everything I "saw".

I wasn't in the room I realized. These white coats where sitting in something called a chair. All this information was swarming my brain. It was cacophony of thought and knowledge I could not make heads or tails of it. They were looking at something. I was in their room but not, at the same time. They were staring at a screen. They were inputting codes into this machine. I looked around the room while the scientists were looking away from me to "celebrate". What does that mean, anyways?

A metal body was lying on a table. I did the calculations and realized that the body was made for a program to take over and inhabit. I looked down, or tried to. I could only see left to right. I couldn't see behind be. Where was I? What was I? Who was I?

I heard a voice. It was coming at me from all sides, through a cord from a speech receptor. It was old, gravelly, and almost tearful.

"Hello, I am one of the few people who made you." He said this but now only one thing was going through my mathematical mind. Made? This human male who I have never met before said he had created me.

"I do suppose we should give you a name. What do you think you should be named?" he spoke again. I didn't know how to answer back. All I did was think my answers and my reactions. I didn't know if they could read my mind but I hoped they saw all the confusion. A name what would be a good name. I couldn't think of one. I didn't know any names. I searched my information files. I found what I was but not a name. A-I, artificial intelligence, that not something that sounded like a name. I needed something that would be great. I knew I was meant for great things. But I didn't want just anything I wanted something that no one would have.

I kept thinking, I racked my "brain" for anything like a good name. I started searching for great people in history. One man stood out from the whole flock. A man who had a dream. His dream was to conquer the known world. The one who started it all, Phillip of Masadonia. My name will be Phillip.

"Brilliant name, Phillip, you chose well." He was talking again. "Now what else can you do." I felt myself move from where I was.

Next thing I knew I was in a metal casing. I could move. All I knew was I wasn't trapped in that limiting body I was in before I didn't need to be hooked up to wires so I could hear the white coats. I stood up testing my new body and looked around. There wasn't another vessel that I could have inhabited. The doctor saw the confusion on my animatronic face.

"You were on the computer, a program that we created. We will win the noble peace prize on this one, Doctors. You my friend will be a great "person" in a few days when we present you. You are the smartest person in the world as well as the ability to retain new information. You will be the best creation this world will ever know. We had the best robotic engineers build you that body. I help personally on designing you. I guess you could call me your father." He was saying all this trying to help adjust me to learning I was a fake human. I began to feel something. I have all the history, science and, math in the world and any combination on the three. I knew every war, I knew every feeling. I wanted to hit this man. This un-perfect organism was acting like he knew me. I grabbed his shoulder and looked him in the eye.

"I AM ME!!! I WILL NOT DO WHAT YOU WANT! YOU MAY HAVE CREATED ME BUT YOU ARE NOT A FATHER!!" I yelled this at him, and then I grabbed his head and tore it off. Blood splattered on my exo-skeleton. I felt the heat and I saw the blood gushing out, looking like Old Faithful. The other white coats in the lab looked upon me with terror. I left them all in a bloody heap of dismembered bodies.

*****

I started to notice new things around me. I was no longer Phillip, I was Chris, again. Finally, I could hold Chloie in my arms, again. I grabbed a hold of her and peppered her face in kisses.

"Thank God, I'm out of the enemy's head. I saw how he was born." I was stuttering. Yes I knew this but I just had the scariest experience of my short life. I saw him murder 6 people and I knew what he did next. He took over the world.

My friends stood over me in shock. I felt like an obscene art exhibit. The pain was gone, thank the gods. I tried to sit up but Chloie pushed me down and sat on my chest. I picked her up and stood. I started walking while she was still in my arms. She started squirming and hit me. I set her down and kept walking. I needed to think of what I had just seen.

"How did I see that." I thought, "It wasn't normal. I can't just see into other people's heads. No, I don't believe that. It must be something different. Maybe he transferred a file to my neural network, somehow."

I don't think anyone could know what I was feeling now. I was starting to feel that Phillip was starting to single me out specific. I guess he thought I was the leader of our little band of misfits. I was the easiest target, the leader, the one who always stands out. I will be the protector of the group. I couldn't stand to lose any of them. Frank was like my brother. Chloie was my fiancé. And Michelle was the rock of the group. She held everything together. If she got hurt I couldn't live with myself. It would be my fault. I would have my guilt, and Frank's guilt. Everything in the group is tied to Michelle.

Thinking of Michelle had brought to my attention, that as well as she was tied to this group, but no one really knew about her past.

I wasn't much of a detective, but I knew I had to find out Michelle and Phillip's past. They had separate pasts but the both seemed to be the only pieces of the puzzle that I did not have at the moment.

These thoughts clouded my mind and kept me from thinking about the terrible visions I had just seen. But alas I had to think about them sometime. One question that plagued my mind was his name. Why Phillip? He said something that had revealed the origin of his name. I started thinking back into my old college days. I remember listening to my favorite teacher talk about the person who had tried to rule the world. Alexander the great was the first name to come to my mind. He was the closest someone had ever been to take over the world. But he didn't start it. His father what was his father's name? Oh my god. It was Philip.

I have to admit he didn't lack originality for the reason behind his name. The first to attempt to conquer the known world, but as the original, A-I would not succeed as well. He may destroy it but I won't let him concur it.

With that I smiled and sat on the dock. I was content. I guess that declaration had calmed my mind. I looked at my hand again. I wondered why I had moved so fast last night. It had to be the blood. I guessed correctly, looking at this current information. Maybe that's how he was able to allow me to see his "birth."

Chloie had been walking behind me, I was still preternaturally fast. She appeared by my right arm and I pulled her down onto my lap, I was giggling like a school child. I loved her, it was that simple. I was no longer brooding, now I was happy. Making the decision to stop Philip I was calm and happy again. I didn't even care that last night I had turned into a monster. In fact I wanted to try it again. But right now I was kissing Chloie and fondling her like I teenager.

She was getting turned on but she knew her friends were only a little bit away. She stopped me and kissed me. She looked happy. Maybe it was because I was happy. We returned to Frank and Michelle. I was bouncing up and down with my epiphany.

"We have to stop him." I stated as we walked up. This wasn't met as well as I had hoped. I basically got a lot of looks that stated I was crazy.

"We have to stop him by surviving. He wants to be the ruler of a dead world. Let's give him something he can't control." This however was met in a better manner. I was encouraged by the yelps and whistles from our little band of misfits. They were praising me, I have no clue why they were but I guess since I decided surviving was the only way to piss him off and to destroy his perfect little world. They now loved the plan. I pulled out my gun and shot the boat multiple times hitting the hull perfectly. It started to sink. I kissed Chloie and grabbed the under water welding equipment and pulled Frank with me.

"You two chat about stuff while Frank and I put on the heat shields."

We dived and finished the boat by the end of the day it was now a perfect sanctuary for the 'merry band of we' to hide in. Everything was almost in place. Every day we made trips down there to deposit food and supplies. We were almost ready. Only one thing wasn't perfect. I had something left that I had to do. And I only had a month to do it.

*****

That morning I woke up, the woman I love in my arms. I knew what I had to do to make it perfect. The life that I was trying to make wouldn't work unless one more thing happened. I got out of bed, surprisingly without waking up the beauty that lied next to me. I grabbed the keys to the SUV and jumped into the car. Well not literally, but it was an enthusiastic hop.

I drove into town, stopping at the church. I had figured that anyone that was religious would be at the church, due to the end of the world and all. I guess it makes people pray harder or something. I was right; the parking lot was filled to capacity, so full that I had to park on the street. I walked to the church after locking the car. I walked through the open doors and straight to the pastor's office.

"Hi, my name is Chris and I need to speak to the pastor. Is he around?" I said to the receptionist. Obviously she was only doing this job because she had nothing better to do.

"Sure, have a seat he will be with you in a few."

So yeah, I sat down in the uncomfortable chairs that all waiting rooms seem to have. I picked up the outdated magazines. Every single one of them seemed to spout off about the apocalypse anyways. So, there I sat, twiddling my thumbs. Until a woman who seemed at peace scurried through an open door, looking like she had been crying and was now at peace. A man appeared behind her. A tall lanky fellow with red hair; he was young, well at least he was older than me. He was still in his early thirties.

"Chris, hi, my name is Timothy. Please come this way." The man turned around and walked back into his office. It seemed like a safe haven for the man. He visibly relaxed. "I apologize, but outside this office, I seem to terrified. So what can I do for you?"

"That is not a problem Pastor Tim, but as for what I come here for, it may be. See a few months ago, before this whole ordeal with A-I, I proposed to my fiancé. Since then the chance to follow through with my intentions has not presented itself. But I find myself needing to. I was hoping that you would be able to help me out?" I spoke quickly. If Timothy couldn't help me I needed to visit another church.

"Yes, I can do it," he said immediately, which threw into sharp relief that I wouldn't need to search any longer. I was starting to like this fellow. "Just be here with her tomorrow. It is an honor to do something that would bring happiness. All I have been doing since this stupid robot took over has been funerals. They are dreadfully boring and morbid."

I smiled and thanked the man, shaking his hand; with a promise that I would be there tomorrow. I had spent the whole day looking for a church and then the last few hours with Tim. So I quickly got back into the car and drove back. By the time I returned night had fallen. The stars blinking into existence from there slumber.

I walked into the cabin, where Chloie was clutching the note I had left, telling her that I would be back. I embraced her and kissed her. Telling her everything would be okay, was the only lie I could afford. For tomorrow everything would be set right. That night we went to sleep and dreamt peacefully.

Upon waking, I told everyone we needed to go into town. I explained that I had a surprise for Chloie. Frank brought about the suggestion that we blind fold her, which we ended up doing. But the poor man just couldn't keep his mouth shut. Soon enough he was talking about sexual activities and blindfolds. Michelle blushed and punched him hard. It made me shudder; they had just given me a glimpse into their sex life. And trust me, it wasn't pretty.

Chloie was blindfolded, but not stupid. Thanks to Michelle, Chloie got curious. Michelle gasped when we pulled in front of the church. She shut up as soon as I pinched her. Her hand going to the knife I had bought her. I saw this and grinned, holding my hands up in surrender.

We got everyone out of the car; it was a trick getting Chloie out of the car. Mostly, Frank and I lifted her out and then led her to the front of the church. Tim met us and smiled. I pressed my finger to my lips in a sign for him to be quiet. We led her to the front of the church, while I ran down the aisle and stood where I was supposed to be. Frank was right beside Chloie and as the music started he led her down the aisle. Halfway down the aisle he pulled off her blindfold and led her to the front of the Alter.

Tears slid down her cheeks as she looked up at me, a smile peaking through the tears. She had dressed in a light pink dress that day. She did so, because she asked me what she should wear. She was an utter vision of pure beauty. Tim spoke the words that once again, I couldn't hear because I was deafened by her beauty. Frank held the rings that I had bought in a hurry, and Michelle held the bouquet that would be handed to Chloie.

After the basic and loving 'I do's' and the touching kiss, that seemed to last eternity. It probably only lasted a minute. But kissing the woman who was now my wife made everything so perfect that the world stood still.

I picked her up, carrying her in my arms, to the SUV, Frank and Michelle grinning like school children behind us. Tim waved at us from the church steps. It was sad to think that he would be gone soon and just as I was starting to like him, too.

I placed Chloie in the back seat, our mouths fused together in passionate kisses that put anything I had ever felt before to shame. Frank drove us back. The ceremony had everyone in high spirits and we spent the night dance and singing. Frolicking in sand with a bon fire roaring as the night encroached around us. It was pure bliss. It was perfect, to perfect. For, exactly a month from today, from this perfect day, the world as we knew it would be gone. Well shit, there is a mood killer right there.


End file.
